lifestyle poly and TS clearance

[c_wiz]

I am considering interviewing for a job that requires a TS clearance (paperwork to be filed when you start the job), and a lifestyle poly.  I have used marijuana frequently in the past and within the last 2 years.  

I assume I will be asked about drug use during a lifestyle poly and being caught lying on the SF-86 will be grounds for denial of clearance.  Is there any way I would be able to deny past drug use, or past use within the last 2 years (i have a passed drug test from about 1.5 yrs ago) on the SF-86 and the poly.  

basically should I even attempt to secure this job with my recent use of marijuana or should I wait a few years to allow enough time for mitigation of the use.  

[George W. Maschke]

You could falsely deny your past drug use and use countermeasures to pass your polygraph, but I do not advocate this course of action. I think persons seeking security clearances have an ethical obligation to answer the relevant questions truthfully.

Past use of marijuana (even frequent use) does not necessarily preclude one from ever holding a security clearance, but the recentness of your marijuana use may well pose a problem. However, if you lie about your marijuana use and it comes to light in the course of a background investigation, it will be very difficult for you to ever hold a security clearance.

[c_wiz]

Is there anything that can be done to show mitigation of future use when taking into account the recentness of use?

[George W. Maschke]

I don't have the answers to your question, but to research it yourself, you might refer to Security Clearances and National Security Information: Law and Procedures written by Sheldon I. Cohen for the Defense Personnel Security Research Center. This book may be downloaded as a 17.5 mb PDF file here:

http://antipolygraph.org/documents/security-clearances.pdf

You might also review some of the recent industrial security clearance decsions rendered by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals:

http://www.defenselink.mil/dodgc/doha/industrial/

[c_wiz]

what is meant in these clearance decsions rendered by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals when it says "before record closed".  does this mean before sf-86 was filled out or before it started being processed, or what..

[George W. Maschke]

It's hard to answer your question since you don't provide an in-context citation, but I suspect that "before record closed" refers to the evidentiary record that is before the administrative judge.